The Care of Magical Creatures
by fireskeeper
Summary: Everyone knows of the Golden Trio but what of the other students in their class? Jaera Brenner faces many new experiences, and challenges upon her entrance to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. She finds friendships, makes enemies... though none of the students know what the next seven years have in store for them.
1. Prologue

Petite hands rested on the cover of a purple-colored photo album. It had been quite a while since Jaera had laid eyes on this item, and for good reason. This was the photo album her mother had been working on for years; a little hobby called scrapbooking that she had tried to prod Jaera's interest in with no avail. The little girl had had no interest in photos. Why should she dwell on pictures when she could create new memories, and cherish them in her heart and mind? Jaera had made a grave mistake. Time was beginning to erase all the fine details that she had of her parents, and all that was left were the photos her mother had put together in her purple book.

"I'm sorry I could not attend Durmstrang...," Jaera said.

Green eyes traced their way to the letter that sat propped up on the nightstand. She had received her Hogwarts letter, and the first year was starting very soon. Jaera was to accompany her second family, the Lemon's, to Diagon Alley this evening to gather her school items. Textbooks, robes, the works. Deft hands opened the album and thumbed through the pages gently. Her mother and father's smiles passed by page after page. Pictures of the three so happy, and content. The beginning so beautiful and filled with bright memories while the end was drab, and dull containing nothing but emptiness just as the pages at the back of the book.


	2. Together Forever

"Well, what do you suppose we do now?" Jaera asked her brother, her hands gripped tightly on the straps of her backpack.

"Ma gave you her instructions." Nice retorted in a deadpan style.

She cast him a glare before slipping her hands into her pockets to fish out the parchment their mother had given her prior to their departure from France. It contained step by step directions on their journey from the family chateau and the few bits of information that would be handy if forgotten such as the way to open the entrance to Diagon Alley. Jaera gave a sigh of relief as she plucked it safely from her pocket and examined it. Without a moments notice she had extracted the wand from her sleeve and tapped the brick wall three times. The bricks shifted, removing themselves slowly at first and then quickening their pace the larger the archway became.  
The cobblestone streets of Diagon Alley buzzed with the chattering of wizards and witches. This was the center of wizarding London where one could find just about anything the mind could conjure. It was all there just waiting to be discovered. Jaera's eyes darted about her surroundings taking in every sight, every sound, and each distinct smell. The screeching owls, and the mouth-watering smell of pastries that wafted out of the bakery as they passed by. She paid no mind to what her brother, Nice, was talking about until he stopped them in front of Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions.

"We still need a couple robes, a pointed hat, and gloves. Ma said we could find them here."

Jaera's gaze transferred from Nice's to the shop front of Madam Malkin's. The wooden structure was purple in color, and the paint was beginning to chip away. Mannequins posed for passersby in brilliant colors from head to toe. Hats with feathers, robes with vibrant linings and buttons. She was a tad mesmerized by the sight of it all if she were to be completely honest, even more so as they entered the establishment. Madam Malkin didn't give the two much time to browse. She greeted them as they entered, recognizing Nice and Jaera as first-year students almost immediately and ushered them to the rear of the store. No sooner were they propped up on a pedestal did the little plump lady escort them down, and out of her shop with three fitted robes in hand, a pointed black hat that fits just right, and a pair of snug gloves. They took a moment to free their hands, placing all of their newly purchased belongings into Jaera's boundless backpack.

"I don't know about you but I'm pretty hungry," Jaera twittered at the thought of a good meal.

"I could eat." Nice smiled, "The question is, where should we go, and what should we get?"

Jaera's finger-tips pattered against her chin. They had options and plenty of them but with her picky behavior and sensitive stomach they'd narrow it down fairly quickly. Their list shortened excluding spicy choices, sushi, and the like. The two had managed to move out of view from the main street and plopped down to get comfortable. Nice lay face-down on the bench with his feet dangling over the edge, and his arm hanging over the side. Jaera, however, lay with her back on the ground staring up at the bright, blue sky above them.

"Pizza."

Jaera shot up wearing an exasperated expression on her face. "How come I didn't think of that?"

"It's because I'm awesome."

"Sure it is," she remarked with a roll of her eyes. "Let's go then. Do you know if there is a pizza parlor around here?"

"Mm, yeah. I think I saw a sign for it..."

Retracing their steps was more simple of a task than they originally thought it would be as they made a beeline towards the snowy-white walls of Gringotts, and soon happening upon the sign that Nice had mentioned. It was a humble establishment with a simple decor that carried a soft touch of charm. Magical and otherwise. The atmosphere inside was pleasing to the senses, and they discovered that this parlor was a buffet that also took make-on-request orders. The pizzas on the buffet line replenished themselves after pieces were taken with a flick of the wrist, and some magic by the man behind the counter. Jaera, being the plain Jane in the food industry that she was, was happy to just have an endless supply of cheese and pepperoni pizza, breadsticks, and pizza sauce to dip them in. Nice, on the other hand, had ordered his very favorite, and waited patiently, stealing the occasional pepperoni off of Jaera's slices.

"We're required to have an owl, cat, or toad at the school," Jaera said as she stacked their used plates, and placed their trash on the top.

"Yeah, I saw that on the list."

"Mom won't be happy once those are brought home for the holidays."

"I just wish we could have tarantulas." Nice smirked.

She was starting to get a little antsy. Jaera had an undying love for creatures of all shapes and sizes, and she was very excited to finally receive a pet that would be all her own. It was a little disappointing that she was limited to three different animals but she would find the one that suits her best.

"I know, I know."

"Well, I don't want to rush you," Jaera said feebly.

Nice offered her a smile as he stood to remove the trash, and clutter from their table that Jaera had stacked up to make easy for him. He knew she was excited, if he didn't know her, he could have quieted himself to hear the soft sound of friction coming from her knees rubbing together as she tried to stop her leg from bouncing in place.

She had nearly ripped his arm off trying to lead him towards the shop they had spotted on their way into Diagon Alley. The walls were cluttered with tanks, and cages full of little creatures, and large birds of prey. Crows, owls, a seagull. Turtles, frogs, toads. Cats of all kinds. There were even a select few rabbits, and rats but these were not critters that Hogwarts usually allowed. Nice managed to direct her attention to the few that their new residency would allow, and finally, she had narrowed it down and had to make the tough decision. Jaera's little heart was torn between a beautiful northern white-faced owl, and a purple and black harlequin toad. It was the moment of truth. The owl paid her no mind at all and seemed disinterested in the attention Jaera was trying to bestow upon it. The toad, however, seemed pleased and tried to clamber out of its enclosure to her. He stole her heart with what looked like the subtle wink of one of his ebony-round eye.

"We should be getting to platform nine and three quarters," Jaera said, running two fingers over Ike's - the harlequin toad -head.

"Don't want to miss the train? Where's the fun in that?" Nice replied.

"Do -you- want to get a howler from mom?"

Nice's face narrowed. He supposed he didn't want to receive one of those from his mother, and just the thought of it sent a shiver down his spine. He swore his mother was a cornish pixie in one of her past lives.

"Eh, we should probably not miss the train," he said, taking one last swig of his drink.

They exchanged smiles and set off. Nice and Jaera had been inseparable since they had met 10 years before as mere infants. It was five years or so now that they were legally declared family but a family wasn't just blood to them, a family was loyalty. Best siblings, and best friends together forever. There wasn't a thing in the world that these two couldn't accomplish together, or so... that's what they believed.


End file.
